Working Socially With Unbelievers
(Is this being unequally yoked?)


One of the most common objections to Rick Warren's P.E.A.C.E. Plan relates to Warren's willingness to work with not only secularists, but also people of other faiths in his efforts to alleviate the suffering of the masses throughout the world. The standard biblical passage used to raise this criticism of the P.E.A.C.E. Plan is 2 Cor. 6:14-15, which commands Christians to not be unequally yoked to unbelievers. But this is a misapplication scripture.
2 Cor. 6:14-15

Second Corinthians 6:14-15 is one of the most abused and misused verses in the Bible. It is often cited in order to condemn the enjoyment of secular friends, dating unbelievers, celebrating Christmas/Easter, working for social betterment with non-Christians, and even continuing to have contact with a family member who hasn't accepted Christ.

The follow up verse (2 Cor. 6:17-18) has been abused in the same way, and worse, often being used by cults/aberrant groups to not live within society (e.g., isolationist sects like the Branch Davidians, the Jim Jones cult, and others), or not dress in colors/use modern machinery (e.g. the Amish).

Both of these passages, however, have a far more plausible interpretation, which is also much less intolerant and isolationistic. And whichever interpretation a person takes, there is certainly room for disagreement since this passage has nothing to do with the doctrinal essentials of the faith (see my article "The Doctrinal Essentials of the Faith"). 

The context, per the Eerdman's Commentary, the main thrust of Paul's warning is to keep clear of worldly attachments—i.e, getting bound up in a way that would divert us from a spiritual, fruitful, doctrinally sound walk with Christ. According to the Eerdman's Commentary, Paul is apparently making a sharp reference to some incident/topic present at the Corinth church, undefined to us, but apparently understood by them: "In this passage, Paul prohibits some particular though unspecified relationship with unbelievers (v. 14). The veto somehow concerns heathen sacrifices; and certainly any association with heathen worship [in Corinth] involved immorality of the worst kind' (Eerdman's, p. 1081).

The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries adds to this thought by explaining, "One of the great problems of the Christians in a pagan city such as Corinth was to know how far they ought to segregate themselves from those who were outside their fellowship. In the first Epistle the apostle had advised them on the subject, and advocated that , while every care must be taken to avoid idolatry, complete separation was unnecessary" (p. 98). We then read the Tyndale  conclusion, which speaks of the contents of v. 17-18: "Paul continues what is, in effect, a chain of Old Testament quotations, but inserts the word 'wherefore' to show that he is now drawing practical implications from the great truth that the Christians are the temple of the living God. The older shrines were separated off from the world around them; so the Christians must be SPIRITUALLY and MORALLY withdrawn from the pagan society in which they have to live" (p. 99).

Notice—NOT SOCIAL. This is not a social issue. Consequently, when it comes to Warren and his P.E.A.C.E. Plan, neither of these passages would apply.

On a personal level, I cannot understand an unwillingness on the part of Christians to work with those of differing beliefs in order to help alleviate suffering in the world. In a recent blog, I addressed this very issue when responding to a Christian who felt it was improper/unbiblical to work with non-Christians in the social arena. Consider my following comments, originally posted at simplemindedpreacher:
 
Are you telling me that on 9/11 if you were in NYC, you would NOT have helped survivors of the terrorist attacks if your search/rescue team was being coordinated by a Buddhist? Or that you would NOT pull debris off an area where there might have been survivors if your team consisted of 3 atheists, a Hindu, and 4 Jews (a very possible mix in New York)?
What about Katrina in New Orleans? You would NOT have gotten in a boat to rescue stranded people unless your whole boat was full of Christians? What if you found out that one of those "Christians" was a liberal from a United Methodist Church in New Orleans? Would you turn the boat while people were drowning?

I remind you that we are to be in the world, but not of it (John 17:14-15). And also, in Romans 10:15, Paul declares, "And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!" I am thrilled that ambassadors of Christ will be walking on those beautiful feet in all parts of the world thanks to the P.E.A.C.E. Plan.

Nothing the Bible forbids us from helping out in the world socially with people who do not happen to be Christian. If you or anyone else does not want to help alleviate the suffering in the world unless you're working with other Christians, then fine. But please, allow others who feel differently to respond to James 1:27 and James 2:14-17 without fear of being labeled a compromiser, a New Ager, a pluralist, a false teacher, a deceiver, and all manner of other names.

A Christian should certainly be able to remain spiritually and morally separated from others (no matter what their religions might be), if they are  working with them SOCIALLY to build an orphanage, feed a starving child, or pass out clothes to people who are wearing rags. In fact, that would be a golden opportunity to share Jesus with that person. Nevertheless, some Christians feel that this is wrong. And that Christians should only work with other Christians in the social realm. But, as we see, working only with Christians is not mandated by scripture. It must be viewed as more of a personal preference issue.